Addressing and making workplace wellness a priority in your venue is unfortunately, more often than not, one of the last things owners think about. However, when employers make workplace wellness a priority, it can have a positive effect on both employee morale and the company’s bottom line.
So, what can you do to promote workplace wellness in your bar? Here are 6 key ways to make workplace wellness a high priority.
1. Recharge the Batteries: Part of the health equation is to be fresh, to be able to make clear and concise decisions and keep up with the hectic pace in hospitality. Time off, vacations and even sabbaticals are all great methods to recharge and refresh. Leaders who encourage team members to recharge at the appropriate time are far stronger leaders than hard-ass task masters who require their teams to demonstrate a “workaholic” demeanor, similar to the leader’s style. Leaders who ask direct reports to attend meetings on one’s day off simply don’t comprehend, therefore breaking the code. This outcome produces careless and slipshod results. Take time off.
2. Celebrate and Recognize: We know from experience that a well-developed recognition and rewards program does wonders for team morale. Brands and businesses that take the time to reward and recognize appropriately are best in class. It makes sense that people are knocking at those doors and await to join those teams. Recognition in language or how we speak to each other, consistent incentive programs, achievement awards and on the spot recognitions are only a few methods that best in class companies utilize to keep morale where it should be. Continued recognition only reinforces the desired behavior that will support workplace wellness.
3. Execution: The better we execute the plan and strategy, the more rewarding our jobs and involvement becomes. Sloppy execution, poor food and service quality will lead to guests becoming irritated and in many instances taking out their frustrations on team members and managers, draining their enthusiasm. The perfect shift where it all comes off like clockwork with everyone participating and executing pays huge dividends in the culture.
4. Continuous Improvement: The Japanese term “Kaizen” refers to building upon continuous improvement in the workplace. The belief that everything can be improved, meaning that nothing is ever seen as status quo, yet continuous efforts to improve result in small, often imperceptible change over time. These incremental changes add up to substantial changes over the long term, without radical innovation. It can be a much gentler and employee friendly way to institute change that can dramatically impact workplace wellness.
5. Civic Rent: Supporting local or national charities and giving back to the community when you have “skin in the game” from your entire team will certainly play a role in workplace wellness. The act of giving is vitally important to many small and large venues and a key part of their brand architecture. The genuine feeling one takes on during these moments of giving back will fund the company’s emotional bank account.
6. Communication: Be up front with your team and always set crystal clear expectations for deliverables. Allow and build upon a strong open-door policy. When your team has the opportunity to provide real open feedback and speak to leadership without fear of reprisals, this act of candor creates a culture of comfortability. This in no way diminishes the need for everyone to be held accountable, yet building upon an open and robust environment works wonders.
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George Barton
gBartonInnovations.com
[email protected]